


Shades of Zagreus

by Kimnd



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Humor, Meta, Modern Anacronism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28626384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimnd/pseuds/Kimnd
Summary: Zagreus'll take any help he can to get out of the underworld. Even if it means not getting to do it himself.
Kudos: 23





	Shades of Zagreus

**Author's Note:**

> This was written partly as a ~~belated~~ on-time birthday gift for a friend of mine, and partly because I haven't been able to stop playing Hades and damnit I had to write _something_.

It wasn't clear to Zagreus what was going on at first. Sure he knew that escaping his father's underworld wouldn't be easy, but even when he was just beginning his escape route he could swear he was hardly in control of his own legs. The first room he encountered should've been easy. Sure, it was his first time fighting against something that was genuinely trying to kill him--but he'd trained under Achilles! He could tell that these shades, whatever they'd been in life, had little skill left in them. And yet his practiced swinging of Stygius felt amateur at best, and random at worst. Even so the wretches fell, and, clearing his throat, he accepted the message from Athena. In the name of Hades.

"Hail, noble Cousin. Now, let's get you from that miserable place. I'll see that all of us upon Olympus do our part, beginning here with me."

Strangely, he could've sworn that, while he could hear Athena's words, there were other words just behind them. _"Aw, what a cute owl!"_

The power flowed into him quickly, but he drew Stygius, spinning around. "Somebody else there?"

With less sound, he heard the voice more clearly that time. _"Really?"_ He then dashed back into the room. But it was empty.

"Hm... must've been my imagination," He breathed out as he dashed into the next room. "I know you can't hear me where you are, goddess... but thank you."

The next few rooms passed in much the same manner--he felt strangely out of control of his abilities, limited though they were. Even if he wasn't in control, however, the consequences for it were very real as bruises and cuts appeared across his body. He breathed heavily, commenting to nobody in particular, "I'm hurt.. can't heal myself," he opened the next door, ignoring his pain in favor of focusing on his goal. "But I can still fight."

_"Psh, not for long the way we're going, my dude."_

Again, that voice! "Who goes there?" He held Stygius aloft and scanned the chamber but, again, it was empty. The only motion was from the hands reaching from the River and the green flames flickering in the gloom. Once more he ran awkwardly around the whole chamber, finding it empty.

_"That was weird..."_

His head whipped around again. "...Come on, is that you old man?" It reminded him of the shades back at the House in that he had to focus to hear the voice, but shades didn't usually follow him around like the old man. It was, in fact, unprecedented behavior as far as Zagreus knew.

He listened carefully. Eventually, _".....can.. you hear me? Hellooooo?"_

"Er. Yes?" He relaxed. It didn't seem to be hostile...

_"Whaaat! Dude that's crazy! Well it's nice to meet you."_

"Indeed.. well met, my good shade," he turned toward the door. "I'm afraid I can't afford linger--I must be on my way."

He tried to walk or dash toward the door, but it didn't seem to work. Then, the shade started. _"Oh, right!"_ Then he moved in that jerky manner toward the door. 

Unfortunately, upon entering the next chamber, Zagreus was forced into a dash just as a Wretched Loud decided to dash at _him_. "AUGH!" He felt his heart stop, and he fell into a dark void. A dark, red void that was warm. One might even say body temperature. He swam to the top, crawled out. "Urrgh.. Damnit!" Shaking the blood from his hair, he realized, "I'm home..."

_"And now it's time to go pet the dog! This is very important."_

"Oh," He shouldered Stygius glancing around him automatically. This time he did actually catch a faint glimpse of something. It wasn't hooded like a shade, but it wasn't physical like a god. He shot it a grin. "You'll be sticking around, then?"

It nodded. _"Yep! I'm gonna try and help, promise!"_

"Then you won't have any complaints from me."

 _"Sweet! Let's go, then!"_ He was then nearly knocked off his feet when this.. shade, he supposed, made him dash off further into the house. _"Time to meet everybody!"_


End file.
